Tiger & Angel
by Lesalanna
Summary: Spiderman-The Golden Compass/Northern Lights crossover. How would things be different if they had dæmons? If Peter and Mary Jane had been close childhood friends? A series of connected short-fics/oneshots R
1. Angel Arrival

**((**Plot Bunny Take 2. My first Dæmonic Superhero story I'm liking so much that I'm making a second! _Disclaimer: _I do not own _Spiderman, The Golden Compass/Northern Lights _or the concept of dæmons. However, I do own all dæmons name/form/ect. so herein this tale.**))**

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**Angel Arrival  
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It was the noise that first woke him. Slamming, screeching, swearing. Nothing at all like the normal twittering of the birds and gentle call of Aunt May for him to wake up.

Peter Parker rolled over in his bed, trying to see down the alley to the street outside, without any luck.

_"We're just going to have to go downstairs, Petey."_ Azmina told him, her furry tiger cub turning swiftly to a dinosaur to bump him out of bed, before reverting to their preferred feline form. The six year old stumbled on landing, but swiftly caught himself, pulling play clothes out of his drawers to change. One nagging tiger-cub's attempts at combing his hair for him later, he was thumping down the stairs, too excited to go down gently, like Aunt May and Uncle Ben always wanted him to.

"Good Morning, little elephant. What's the plan for today?" Uncle Ben turned from his place at the table, Akiha regarding the pair with dancing eyes, like her human.

"Unca Ben, what's the noise outside?" Peter asked as he climbed into his booster-seat at the kitchen table. He couldn't quite reach the table-top otherwise. Aunt May placed a plate full of his favorite, chocolate chip pancakes in front of him, already cut up and covered in syrup, just the way he liked them. Yum!

It was Aunt May who answered, pouring him a glass of milk. "That's our new neighbors. Don't worry, we'll all go say hello after breakfast and brushing our teeth. Our neighbors aren't even here yet, the sounds are the moving men who are moving things in for them. Ok?"

Peter nodded in agreement, glugging down his milk with gusto. His pancakes were finished in record time, as was the cantaloupe Aunt May convinced him to eat. He chafed at having to go upstairs and brush his teeth, but he did so, silently sighing as Aunt May tagged behind him to comb down his fly-away hair.

Within the hour, the three Parkers were standing outside the house, watching the movers. Peter was busy with Azmina, looking at the ant colony in the sidewalk. A grumble and sputter caused him to look up when a car rumbled up to park in the driveway of the house next door. His sky-blue eyes widened at the red-headed vision that exited the back of the car, followed by a sulking puppy who had to be her dæmon.

He ran over to Aunt May and tugged on her hand, interrupting the woman's quiet conversation with her husband. "Aunt May, Aunt May!" Peter blushed when his aunt turned to him, blurting out, "Is that an angel?" May turned to where he was pointing, letting out a little chuckle. Swithin gave Azmina an indulgent look, as if telling the younger dæmon it was alright for her to be embarrassed at her human's words.

"No, honey. That's our new neighbor. Why don't you go over and say hi? She looks like she could need a friend." Peter did as May urged, not noticing his aunt's perceptive looks at the new family next door. She had already assessed that the little girl was going to need a friend, but for more reasons than Peter would be able to tell at his age. The girl's father didn't look like good business. May's heart broke for the girl, who was standing in the middle of the driveway forlornly, hugging her dæmon close but staying deliberately away from her parents. This was not a girl who was just scared of moving to a new place, evidenced by her startled look when her father shouted at her mother; the poor thing looked terrified.

Like a kind avenging angel, May stepped in to welcome the new family, providing her nephew with a screen to talk to the girl, and for her husband to hopefully calm the other man down before he did something he would regret to either of the women in his family, both of whom looked remarkably cowed.

"Hi," Peter said to the girl shyly, rubbing one ankle on the other, Azmina comforting as a tiger cub beside him, "I'm Peter Parker and Azmina, we're going to be neighbors. What's your name?"

The green-eyed angel's eyes broke away from where they'd been staring apprehensively at her father and Uncle Ben to look at Peter, a blush gracing her features, giving life to the statue. "I'm Mary Jane Watson and Khalon. You're nice."

"Thank you," Peter said, remembering his manners, "Do you wanna go play? I've got a swing-set!"

"Ok! I'll race you, Tiger!" Peter stared at her new nickname for him, until she clarified by pointing at the still cub-formed Azmina. He grinned and she grinned back, then they took off running to his backyard.

_Mommy, Daddy, today I met an angel. Her name is Mary Jane or MJ, and she calls me Tiger. I love her._


	2. Cinderella

_Disclaimer: see first chapter_

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_**Cinderella**_

Miss Driscoll smiled as she looked at the pair of them, how cute they were together. Mary Jane Watson was so hesitant around everyone, except Peter Parker. She didn't know what the boy did, but he always managed to make the girl smile and laugh, when no one else could. The young teacher merely hoped her announcement might make the girl display some of what she showed her best friend to everyone else. The little redhead had such potential, if she let anyone else get close!

"Listen up, children!" Her quick call took the class' attention from their outside reading or coloring. Oswil made sure even her favorite couple of Peter and Mary Jane heard her with a quick bark. The two started briefly, separating from their whispered conversation.

"I have an announcement to make, you all are excited about the School Extravaganza, right?" The cheer that rose at her words made her chuckle. The Extravaganza was an event made to showcase to the parents and the school board just how much the children had learned apart from report cards, especially social situations and teamwork. Every class did something different, and Miss Driscoll had finally decided now was the time to tell the children what they'd be doing. Perhaps it would be too hard for the children, but all she could do was try it. "Would you like to hear what we're doing for the Extravaganza?" Once they'd quieted down again, she spoke softly, so they'd all be sure to pay attention.

"We're going to put on [i]Cinderella[/i], how do you all like that?" She now had to resist covering her ears, they were so loud. "Everyone will have a part that wants it, and we'll need everyone else's help back stage, ok? I'll give you all a letter to bring home tonight, because we're going to need your parents' help with costumes and things. Auditions will be on Monday."

Peter turned to Mary Jane with a large smile, blue eyes sparkling. "You should try out for Cinderella, Mary Jane, you'd be sure to get the part!"

"Are-are you sure, Peter? I'm not really sure…"

"I'll try out with you, if you want." Azmina sighed as she heard his unwitting thought, resolving she had to tell it to Khalon at some point, so they could plan something. Peter wanted to be the Prince to her Cinderella. Both dæmons knew their humans' feelings about the other, and both heartily agreed, though in some ways Azmina wished Mary Jane knew quite how deep Peter's affection for her went. Khalon hadn't been able to adequately tell her, and probably wouldn't be able to for years.

--

Mary Jane had easily made Cinderella, surprising herself, but not her erstwhile hopeful consort. His wish, unfortunately, was not to be. Peter had been relegated to helping backstage and script-boy. Miss Driscoll had taken sympathy on him, naming him the Prince's understudy, in case something happened. She wasn't optimistic that anything would happen, Sean Palmer was already remarkably good at acting and singing, his mother had hopes for him on Broadway in the next few years.

Peter did manage to learn the entire show, since he helped Mary Jane with her lines and learned his own. Miss Driscoll knew she'd been right to make him script-boy, since all one of the others had to do was call out line and he knew exactly what line they needed, regardless if he'd been paying attention or not, since if he wasn't, Azmina was. It worked out beautifully that way.

Everything was going perfectly, Peter's Aunt May had made all of Mary Jane's costumes for her, the little ball gown was stunning. The one problem they were having was Khalon's refusal to take tiger form. The script called for Cinderella's dæmon to be a tiger during the ball since that way her family wouldn't recognize her. But he wouldn't, and Mary Jane didn't listen to any of Miss Driscoll's pleadings to try and convince them.

"Tiger is Peter's form," the little girl always said, "Azmina's a tiger, Peter's a tiger, not me or Khalon." Miss Driscoll had wracked her brain trying to figure out just how to make this work, since Cinderella's dæmon did speak during the play, and couldn't just suddenly go silent during the ball. Then it occurred to her, have Khalon be a bug on Azmina's back during that one scene, so his voice would still be heard, but the tiger form would be seen. It would be perfect!

Everything went perfect, right up until the dress rehearsal. Sean walked into room 100 at the beginning of the day and Miss Driscoll took one look at him then quickly escorted him to the nurse's office before any of the other children could see him. His dæmon was a wreck, her mouse-fur falling out in clumps even as he stood swaying in the doorway. It turned out that Sean had been staying at his father's house for the past week, and managed to get the chicken pox. There was no way he could go on stage in the next couple of days without risking getting the entire class sick.

Peter Parker would get to be the Prince for Mary Jane Watson after all. Miss Driscoll had never seen as bright a smile on the boy's face as the one he gave her when she told him the news.

--

Mary Jane fussed with her skirt, she just couldn't get it to look right! Everything had to be perfect, not only was it _the_ show, but Peter was now the Prince, she had to look perfect for him! Mommy always wanted to look perfect for Daddy, so Mary Jane had to look perfect for Peter. What the little girl had yet to realize was her mother's reason for "looking perfect" was much different than her own. Her mother didn't want herself or her daughter yelled at or abused, so she made everything perfect for her husband. Peter loved Mary Jane no matter what; he didn't care how she looked.

_"Honey, this dress doesn't have to be perfect, it's your servant clothes, Peter will only see you with them off stage, on stage he'll see the ball gown, and it's perfect, you know it is. Don't fret, darling. Now then, chin up, grab your packages and be ready to go on, they're almost at our cue!"_ With that last bit of sage advice, Khalon lifted the boxes it had been decided he would carry, canine teeth biting firmly into the strap holding them together, scruffy dog holding his tail low to the ground in anticipation of going on, though he couldn't resist a slight wag of excitement.

--

May Parker sat in the audience, watching the fruit of her labor, holding hands with her husband. Mary Jane's costumes were gorgeous, as was Peter's hastily refitted Prince costume. Poor boy still had to wear his glasses, though, he was blind without them. May had to physically restrain Swithin when she realized what had happened.

The girls playing the stepsisters had attacked the Prince like they were supposed to. But Peter wasn't Sean, and so couldn't support Tiffany and Christine's weight as easily as the burlier boy could. Not to mention his glasses, which were tumbled to the floor at Tiffany's first lunge. Swithin wanted to go up and grab the glasses so they wouldn't get stepped on, but that would ruin the scene. Not even Azmina could pick them up, she herself was tackled by the two girls' dæmons. May held her breath, certain the glasses were going to get broken on the next step.

But no-what was this? A bird was flying up into the air with his glasses firmly held in talon. Whose dæmon was that? That was when May saw Mary Jane holding out an arm for the bird. Khalon! But how? He was supposed to be a tiger, or Azmina was supposed to be one in his place or - that was when May realized it. With Peter on stage, he had to show a daemon as well. So they must have changed the script. Khalon's quick change into a white tiger after gifting his human with the glasses changed May's mind. Maybe they hadn't changed the script much. But Mary Jane had been so adamant that tiger was Peter's form, why was Khalon taking it now?

May cast all those thoughts out of her mind when she saw her boy stop struggling to get out from under the two girls who had landed on him. Why? She looked harder. He was staring at Mary Jane, even without his glasses on, like she was a mythical creature. She watched as Mary Jane knelt and leaned forward, slipping Peter's glasses back on. His bright eyes were brought back into focus and yet he still stared at her, as if memorizing her every feature. He whispered something, an automatic response to Mary Jane's presence, May was sure, but his microphone still picked it up.

"Angel…" Mary Jane smiled at that, a blush blossoming on her cheeks as she helped to disentangle him from her "stepsisters", who as they were supposed to, did not recognize her. Their two dæmons shortly joined them; two tigers were now on stage, one white and one orange. The quartet wandered over to their next mark on stage to allow the stepsisters their song, still gazing deep into each other's eyes.

When it came time for Mary Jane and Peter's number, May held her breath. Peter had practiced this so much with Mary Jane over the fence separating their yards; it was so adorable to hear the two of them. They'd done it so much; even May knew the words by heart. Therefore, it was a surprise when in Peter's second line he changed the words. Instead of "Ten minutes ago I met you…" he said, "Ten minutes ago, you helped me…" which was all in all true, but would Mary Jane be able to add that to her own lyrics to have it make sense? May decided she didn't want to worry, instead watching her boy's expression on his next line. This could be…interesting.

Peter could feel the blush rising to his cheeks as he continued to sing, Mary Jane still staring at him. He only hoped Miss Driscoll would pick up on his slowing down, so he wouldn't have to race ahead. He paused, breathed, and continued, slower and more fervid then the rush of excited words he had sung before.

"I have found her, she's an _angel_, with the dust of the stars in her eyes…." He picked the tempo back up right afterwards, but was proud of himself. The look on Mary Jane's face when he'd said it again…oh, how he wished he could always see her looking at him like that!

Mary Jane felt like her smile would break her face. They were nearing the end of the song now, and she wondered just what Peter would do, they'd always practiced with just a hug…but people in love always kissed! Cinderella and the Prince kissed in the movie, so did Ariel and Eric and Aurora and Phillip, and well, every couple! They could kiss too, they were best friends, and they knew the other one didn't have cooties!

"I may never come down to earth again…" the pair let the notes trail off, Mary Jane absently noting that Azmina and Khalon were snuggling really close. She had bigger things on her mind, leaning forward to kiss Peter on the lips. He blushed scarlet, but kissed her back, a mere double peck that showed their innocence, despite their actions.

The rest of the show went off without a hitch, Mary Jane having to stifle sniffles in the wings when Peter sang his short solo. She didn't know he had openly sobbed at hers, causing a panic backstage until he was calmed down and his makeup reapplied. The shoe fit perfectly on her foot, as expected, and they finished off the musical with another chaste peck on the lips, along with a massive hug that lasted even through most of the applause.

"Thanks for helping me, _Angel_," Peter said awkwardly when the separated, "you know, with my glasses?"

"Any time, _Tiger_, I'll always be here for you, you know that."

Amid the hubbub of greeting all the fans and getting pictures and cleaning up, no one noticed that Azmina and Khalon remained in tiger form, one white, one orange, and remained particularly close together, talking about something which their humans would not begin to contemplate for a number of years.

Dating and Marriage.


	3. September 11, 2001

_Disclaimer: see first chapter_

((_**WARNING! **_The second half of this segment does deal with 9/11 in a semi-graphic manner. If you still wish to read the part not concerning 9/11 read only to the bolded asteriks.))

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**September 11, 2001**

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"Pete! Peter, wait up!"  
He just kept walking, he didn't want to talk to her, he couldn't believe she'd just stood there while they said that about him, she was supposed to be his friend, how could she have stood there and _laughed_ at him like that? How could she have done that? Was she even his friend anymore? Why-his thoughts were stopped short at the 500-pound roadblock he suddenly had.

"Azmina! Why are you in my way, move!"

_"No. Mary Jane's trying to talk to you. Listen to her."_ Gold eyes narrowed, her broad tiger-face willing him to turn around and look at his friend. The ten year old boy growled in annoyance, but did at his dæmon asked, turning around to look at the redhead still approaching.

"Tiger, listen to me, _please_!" Mary Jane begged him, Khalon perched on her shoulder, giving the boy sorrowful eyes to match his human's swimming green eyes. "They don't know you, they're all stupid!"

"Yeah?" He challenged, "Then why'd you laugh with them? Why'd you let them talk like that about me? You're supposed to be my _friend_, how could you let them say that? _I thought you were my friend!_" Peter Parker barely held back tears, this was her greatest betrayal. How could she do this to him?

"I am your friend, Pete…I didn't think they were talking about you, honest! I thought it was a made up joke until Flash talked about a tiger dæmon! I'm sorry! I-I hit Flash when I realized he was talking about you," Mary Jane blushed, "gave him a bloody nose, and yelled at the rest of them. I'm sorry, Tiger, forgive me?"

Peter looked at her, taking in her eyes, the threat of tears making them gleam like emeralds, freckles spilling across her nose, and her pink-lipglossed mouth quivering as she tried not to cry. Her red hair fell into her face, lank with sweat from gym class. Without thought, he lifted the hank of hair that had fallen into her face, tucking it behind her ear. His own mouth quivered, and he said shakily, "Ye-Yeah. I forgive you, Angel."

She let out a sob, hugging him tightly. They stood there for…he didn't know how long, just hugging each other. Khalon and Azmina sat some feet beyond them, curled up with together, whispering.

Finally Mary Jane pulled back, easing out of his arms, only to grab his hand and pull him over under the shade of an oak tree. Everyone else out playing kickball for gym was forgotten. It was just the two of them again.

"Peter, we're going to middle school next year. We're going to be in different homerooms and different classes. We're going to have to be apart…and I don't want that, at all. But it's going to happen, and there's nothing we can do to stop it." She held up a hand to forestall any comment from him.

"I want you to know, that I will always be there for you; I will always be there to take care of you. I promise you that. I will always be your friend."

_*** * * * * * * * ***_

Any response Peter was going to give was drowned out by the loud roar of an airplane. The pair looked up; it was so much louder than any plane they had heard before…and flying really low, even for a plane landing at La Guardia or the Kennedy Airport.

"That's weird," Mary Jane stated, startled at Peter's exclamation of, "Not weird, wrong, there's something wrong with that-those-planes." Indeed, there was a second plane following shortly after the first. The pair watched the pair of planes as they flew off noisily into the distance, towards New York City for some minutes, idly speculating as to just what the problem might be, completely forgetting they were supposed to be playing kickball, not that Coach Slater had noticed.

_"Oh no."_ Azmina groaned, _"No…no…"_ Peter instantly came alert, nearly flying over to his dæmon, who was still being curled around by Khalon. "What is it, Mina? What's wrong?"

_"I just heard a crash and an explosion, beloved…I think one of those planes hit something."_

"Oh no." Peter looked up at Mary Jane, from her expression, Khalon had just told her much of the same. The quartet turned and looked at the rest of the playground. All the children looked scared or worried, as did Coach Slater, his Wihic was shivering, the lion-dæmon's mane shaking. The bell for second period rang, startling the class. After finishing the game and cleaning up the playground, they all lined up to go back inside. Every dæmon winced, and Khalon whispered to Mary Jane, _"There's been another crash."_

The class was subdued as they shuffled into Biology, all worried and tense. No one in the building had heard anything, and it was only as recess started that the class managed to convince Mr. Dekkin, their History teacher, to turn on his TV and find out what was going on.

What they saw made several members of the class scream or swear, depending on their proclivities. Mr. Dekkin dropped the remote in alarm, and his gazelle dæmon streaked out of the room, drawing numerous teachers shortly in. They tried to make the children leave, but didn't argue when the children refused.

Mary Jane buried her head in Peter's shoulder, seeking comfort. He held onto her tightly, resting his cheek on her hair. He couldn't seem to stop staring at the screen. This shouldn't be happening.

They kept replaying it, over and over and over and over and over and over and over…the planes flying, almost in slow motion, into the Towers, the sound not a loud _crash_ he would have expected, but a muted, booming _thwap_ foretelling of the fireballs that spilled out the holes shortly afterwards. Then, the newest clip…one of the towers, crumpling to the ground…all the debris following it down, some of it people and their dæmons as they jumped, rather than be burnt alive.

The entire room stayed like that for all of recess, all cringing as some ten minutes later there was another alert and a brand new clip…the second tower, tumbling down. When the bell rang, signaling the end of recess, no one moved. They couldn't, frozen to their seats, just staring at the screen. Several students were crying by now, Mary Jane included. Peter slowly stroked her hair, trying to calm her as Azmina ran a gentle tongue up Khalon's neck, grooming her fellow tiger dæmon. Other students had left the room, those with phones giving them to those that did not, as the fearful children tried to contact their parents working in the area. Fear and despair reigned when many could not get in contact.

The principal came over the PA, announcing what the room knew had occurred. Shortly the principal himself came to the room, saying Mr. Dekkin had told him what they were watching. He was allowing this room, and this room only, to go home if they wished, and their parents or guardians were available, or they had someone else to go with that the school trusted. Otherwise they could either go to their next class or stay in his office or with the nurse.

Peter stood, slowly dragging Mary Jane with him. He knew Aunt May would be there waiting for him, and that she was an accepted pick-up for Mary Jane. Unwillingly, he disentangled himself from her to pick up his things, helping her with hers. Then they left the room, Mary Jane having wrapped her arms around him again. The two and their dæmons met up with Aunt May and Swithin in the hallway, the small woman wrapping the two in her surprisingly strong grip.

Everyone knew the world was never going to be the same.

--

In the days that followed, Mary Jane clung to Peter any chance she could get, constantly reminding him of her promise that no matter what, they would always be friends. Some good was heard, people ignoring the Taboo to save others, if their daemons were large enough to take passengers and had wings. Some fifty or sixty people had been saved that way.

But over all, it was a much subdued Mary Jane and Peter that lived now. Their childhood was gone, even before elementary school finished. Peter agreed with what all the heroes, the firefighters and police said. _Never again._ Never again would they let this happen. No matter what, even for his young age, Peter swore that if there was a way, he would fight to prevent what had happened from happening again with every breath in his body. _Never again._

--

Dedicated to the victims and heroes of September 11th, 2001.


	4. Homecoming and Harry

_Disclaimer: don't own anything recognizable!_

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**Homecoming and Harry**

Mary Jane had been right to swear to Peter that they'd always be friends. If she hadn't, he would be unlikely to believe her when she actually was able to talk to him. They barely saw each other in the hallways now, at most passing by with enough time for Azmina and Khalon to give the other dæmon a brief gentle nip or whispered_ "Hi!"_ Even their lunches were different because of the accelerated math and science classes Peter was in.

The longest they got together to talk, it wasn't even the humans. Azmina and Khalon would perch on one or another of their windowsills and talk about how their days went with their humans listening in. During the weekends, the quartet was inseparable, riding their bikes to get ice-cream, studying together, and just generally being near each other. Or at least that's how it went until Homecoming Weekend. Homecoming Weekend heralded the end to their idyllic weekends, not because Mary Jane's rehearsals started, they had been going since the second week of school. No, the end to the weekends was because Mary Jane got her first date.

His name was Flash Thompson, and he was the starting quarterback for the freshman football team. Mary Jane had merely accepted his invitation to the Homecoming Dance because Peter said he couldn't go, it was Uncle Ben's fiftieth birthday and they were going to have a party. Mary Jane would have been happier going to the party for the man she looked to as a father, but her mother had made a fuss about it being her first Homecoming, she just _had_ to go. Khalon had snorted and shared a look with Mary Jane on that one. There was no real way to get out of it. At least Mary Jane had been able to convince her mother that she could go shopping for the dress herself, then proceeded to drag Peter along with her, so they could at least do _something _together this weekend.

She'd known the dress she would go with the minute she stepped out of the dressing room to ask Peter's opinion. There was no way it wasn't perfect, what with his utter silence, hanging jaw and drowning blue eyes. The clincher was Azmina's quiet comment, _"It's gorgeous."_ The opinionated dæmon always had the best fashion sense, to balance her human's lack of it. The dress itself was a navy blue, the color of Khalon's eyes in many of his domestic feline and canine forms. It was a simple halter-back, ending just below her knees, made of mostly chiffon, with satin bands for the halter-straps, under the bust and at the hem. It wasn't one of the grossly-deep halters, instead showing just a hint of cleavage and a mole that was centered right at the apex of her cleavage. It flowed loosely from the satin under-bust band, much like an empire dress, giving the still mostly-hipless girl the illusion of a bottom curve to match her top curves, which were to her standards enough already. Being a C cup in freshman year would do that to a girl.

"I hate how he just _stares _at me, Peter. He creeps me out." Mary Jane tried to get him back on track to what their conversation had been before she came out wearing the dress. The success of the diversion was yet to be seen. Khalon chuckled at the herculean effort Azmina's human took to stop staring himself…not that his human actually minded Peter staring. She rather liked it, quite a lot, but if he couldn't carry on the conversation while staring, he would have to stop staring.

"Then why are you going to Homecoming with him?" Peter finally managed to ask, his eyes clearly on the sign advertising a Macy's credit card rather than on Mary Jane.

"I don't want to disappoint Mom, and Dad's-Dad's…" she trailed off, unsure of how to phrase her problem so as to not send Peter into a tizzy. Khalon took over, remarking to Azmina, _"She's afraid her father will beat her if she doesn't go, he's already harping on how great Thompson is at football and wrestling and all of this stuff. It really makes me sick."_

Mary Jane watched as Peter's gaze swung back to hold hers, his eyes reminding her of the little pond in town and how it always goes eerily flat before a major storm hits. "Peter, it's ok, it's just a dance. I'll go, dance, and that'll be the end of it, Dad'll stop then, I swear!" The staring match continued as Khalon muttered, _"It won't stop, it never will, his drinking's worse than it's ever been. I'm getting really worried, Mina." _The cheetah licked the pitiful looking beagle in comfort, laying a steadying paw on the canine's flank. _"We'll figure something out, Hal, you know we will. Our humans are fairly smart, Khal. And if we talk to Swithin and Akiha, I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something to help, or at least get yours' father to stop drinking so much."_ The beagle sighed, laying his head down on top of Azmina's foreleg and nestled against her chest, her head coming to settle down on his back and side, giving another lick to his floppy ear.

"Uncle Ben's party won't last the entire time the dance will, I'll just show up late to the dance…that is, if you want me to come." Her answering grin made him smile in return, some life coming back to his eyes.

"Peter, that would be wonderful! Thank you so much!" Mary Jane threw herself at her friend for a hug, forgetting about the dress she was wearing and ignoring any onlookers. Some giggles made her turn her head to the sound. Oh, no. The gossipy, simpering cheerleaders were here, buying their dresses.

"Oh, Mary Jane," a gibbon-dæmonéd girl said, "is that why you're always hanging around Parker? You use him for fashion advice. Good choice, guys like him always know what looks good." Mary Jane growled, while Peter asked Azmina, _What does she mean? Since when do nerds have good fashion advice? _The cheetah-dæmon shook her head soundlessly, she would explain it later.

Mary Jane drew herself up to her full height and glared at the girl, still holding onto Peter tightly. "I'll have you know, Amanda, that Peter is here because I wanted _my boyfriend_ to have a chance to see the dress I'm wearing to Homecoming even though he can't come. He has a family party to go to, but knows I still want to go."

"But Flash?" The girl looked stunned. How could anyone choose Parker over Flash Thompson. The school's biggest nerd over the starting quarterback for the freshmen, sure to become the starting quarterback for varsity?

"I'm going with Flash because he invited me, and Peter told me he didn't mind." She pressed a quick kiss to Peter's lips, one a bit less chaste than their kisses during _Cinderella. _Adroitly, Mary Jane fought back the blush that threatened to overtake her face, disentangled herself from Peter and walked back to the dressing room to change, hoping the cheerleaders couldn't make out Peter's dumbfounded expression. The pair _so _had to talk over ice cream.

--

The rumor about the two grew by leaps and bounds, the normally shunned Peter thrust into the limelight unwillingly. They were just lucky Homecoming was three weeks away, the gossips should have found something else to talk about by then, let alone what ever happened at Homecoming itself! Then a miracle arrived, gossip wise. A new kid. And not just any new kid, but a new, filthy rich, handsome kid! Norman Osborn's son, Harry. Many girls were smitten by Harry. Peter was just smitten with the scientific advancements Harry's father had made.

It was a strange friendship that blossomed between the two, first as tutor and student. Harry himself was none too shabby at science, but his math dearly needed help, so Peter was assigned to tutor him, much as he unofficially helped Mary Jane. From that they changed to true friends, bonding over the friendship of a certain theatre-obsessed redhead and a joint love of art, though Harry preferred painting while Peter adored photography. The fact that this tight bond formed in less than a month was astounding.

The cheerleaders leapt at his friendship as a dog jumps on a bone, calling Harry Peter's new boyfriend, and even alluding to a threesome between the two and Mary Jane. Peter ignored the whispers, much as he had all the other times there had been whispers, a blockade built of a child's innocence and ignorance. Uncle Ben and Aunt May knew little of what he heard daily, since he felt there was no reason to tell them. They had already informed him about men loving men and women loving women being just as likely as men loving women and women loving men, and the fact that it was not strange, it just was. So Peter ignored all the rumors, knowing full well he didn't love Harry in the way Uncle Ben loved Aunt May. If anything, he loved Mary Jane that way and Mary Jane only.

Mary Jane took Peter's stance and just ignored them, too caught up in her rehearsals for _Bye, Bye, Birdie _to really care. Yes, it might hurt to hear, but as long as Peter never pulled away from her, she could ignore it. Besides, all the rumors were keeping Flash away from her, before that he had decided that since she was his date, he had every right to take up all of her free time and even tried to forbid her from talking to Peter. That hadn't gone over well, and Mary Jane was personally still surprised that he wanted to take her to the dance. Then again, she had carefully kept this fact from her parents, to avoid their punishments.

Harry, on the other hand, on hearing all the rumors, went slightly mad. If the school hadn't been a public school, he would have been kicked out within that first week for fighting. As it was, he sat detention every afternoon. His father never intervened, merely telling the school "the boy has to figure out his problems for himself," Harry didn't tell either of his friends that his father was ignoring him worse than ever, not even deigning to hit him for his wrongdoings, instead avoiding the boy even at mealtimes, not even speaking a word to him.

Soon the bullies targeted only Harry, and Homecoming drew ever closer. The week it occurred, Harry got himself suspended, and Flash Thomson found himself with a broken nose, Harry had got in a lucky punch. This made the already large quarterback angry, and determined to take it out on one of Harry's friends, since he couldn't get to Harry himself. For reasons known only to himself, he decided to target Mary Jane, thinking perhaps she would be less likely to fight back. Really, he would have been better to go after Peter, since Peter would at most only defend himself, but he would fight with all he had to protect Mary Jane.

Flash Thompson was about to learn this the hard way.

Peter had, with full agreement from Mary Jane, watched through her window as she did her hair and makeup for Homecoming. He willingly turned his back when she put her dress on, and could only stand there astonished when he saw her fully done up. She was…spectacular. Her hair had been pulled all the way back, into a soft, elaborate looking updo.

_"Khalon says that they cannot wait to see us at nine thirty, they will be waiting at the main entrance of the gym for us." _Peter could only turn his shocked expression to a smile at Azmina's words. This prompted the girl in the window across the way to blush and give her own shy smile before waving and leaving her room to greet her date and have her father drive them to the school gym for the dance.

Peter himself changed into a nice white button-up with a navy-and-black tie before going downstairs to greet his Aunt and Uncle before they went out to their fancy dinner, which Uncle Ben had decided he wanted instead of a party. He had been heard to proclaim that a party was only a party if Mary Jane was around to light it up. This had caused blushes on both of the young people's face, and a familiar, secretive grin on his wife's. Both of Peter's relatives knew how the wind blew, and were only hoping for the best. Thus, a long enjoyable dinner that had a definite end, instead of a party that could go on until who-knew-when.

Peter was perfectly content by the time Uncle Ben and Aunt May dropped him off at the Homecoming dance. He was pleasantly full and perfectly sugared up from the decadent chocolate cake and ice-cream they had gotten to celebrate Uncle Ben's birthday, they planned on saving Aunt May's cake for the next few days, so Mary Jane could enjoy some as well. With a last kiss and hug and rundown of the list of things he needed for the dance, Peter was let out of the car.

He easily made his way through the crowd to the entrance, looking out for Mary Jane and not finding her anywhere. He did happen to find Harry, to his surprise since he thought that once suspended, you weren't allowed to any extracurricular activities, like the dance. Harry merely winked at him and dove back into the main area of the gym, where the dancing was. Somehow Harry'd gotten in, and Peter wasn't about to question how. He was more concerned with the fact that Mary Jane was nowhere to be found. He soon found himself in the main area of the gym himself, trying to find Mary Jane amid the masses of gyrating bodies, low light and painfully loud music. He was met with no luck, even when Azmina went owl to try to spot the girl or her dæmon.

Disappointed, he made his way back to the entrance, preparing to call Uncle Ben to pick him back up. That was, until he heard the half muffled cry, and Azmina alerted him to having finally spotted Khalon. The sound went along with where Azmina had seen Khalon, and neither Peter nor his now tiger formed dæmon were happy with the revelation. They were much less pleased as they grew closer and saw just what had happened to their friend.

Mary Jane had been pushed into a dark corner, held there by Flash Thomson's weight as he kissed her, holding her arms above her head. She obviously didn't like his attention, as he had already taken measures, namely pushing her legs far apart, so as to not let her kick him. Khalon was locked in battle with Flash's dæmon, having as little success as his human.

Peter was livid. With barely a sound, the bobcat-dæmon was plucked off stoat-Khalon by an enraged draconic Azmina. She kept her size fairly small, for all her anger, only her wings barely brushing the ceiling, not going through it. Peter lithely slipped an arm between Flash and Mary Jane, pulling the bigger boy back so Mary Jane could finally kick him. With strength he didn't know he had, Peter threw Flash to the floor, breathing heavily, barely holding onto his temper.

"Stay away from her, Flash! You have no right to touch her!" The still downed boy looked up at Peter with an insolent smirk, getting to his feet.

"Oh, really, Parker. How are you going to stop me?" Quicker than the eye could follow, the bobcat changed to a massive boa-constrictor and began strangling Azmina. Flash charged, Peter, gasping for air, ducked the other boy's attack, and Mary Jane kicked out at her attacker again, Khalon going raven and attacking the snake's eyes.

"Get away, Flash!" With that, Peter was back upright, tucked into the boxing position Uncle Ben had taught him, and Azmina had shrunk down to an ant, easily escaping the snake's coils to reform as her preferred tiger, snarling at the slumped snake. The quarterback laughed and went in for the kill, rearing back sharply as Peter's fist met his already injured nose. He fell, screaming, Azmina's paw braced on the snake's neck for a moment, before she let go to comfort Khalon.

Peter himself had already turned his attention back to Mary Jane, hugging her to him tightly and rocking her as she cried. He didn't even think about his actions as he pressed a kiss to her imperfect hair, it had begun to fall around her face and down her back courtesy of the rough attention from Flash. Chaperones had come at the scream, and the matter took quite some time to sort out. It ended with Flash being taken to the hospital for his nose to be reset with his expected suspension for the next week. Peter had gotten off with a warning to get someone instead of fighting himself, and he had taken a still sniffling Mary Jane home with him when Uncle Ben raced over to pick them up.

"Mary Jane," Peter whispered to her when they were in the back seat of the car, their dæmons at their feet, "I'm so sorry, if I hadn't gone out with Uncle Ben and Aunt May, I could've…" she placed a finger over his lips, hushing him. "It's ok, Peter. None of us knew he would do that in retaliation for Harry, no one even knew Harry had been the one to break his nose, he claimed he did it on accident when practicing, remember? You did nothing wrong, Tiger. You're simply my hero." With that, the redhead snuggled back into Peter's embrace, falling asleep against his shoulder, the adrenaline rush finally fading. Peter followed her soon after, his head coming to rest on top of hers. Uncle Ben looked into his rearview mirror and smiled. Khalon and Azmina curled up together, two cats taking comfort and conversing in quiet whispers. The dæmons knew something had to give. They just didn't know what.

And that scared them more than any fight ever could.


	5. Changes

**Repost, as somehow the coding went haywire half way through the chapter. Grr. Review, please? Anybody?**

They were late, again. _Shit! _A brief chuckle burst out of his sprinting dæmon, who taunted him, _"You're lucky your Aunt can't hear your thoughts, Peter, or she'd wash your mouth out with soap!"_ Peter scowled at Azmina, but the cheetah kept on running, catching up to the bus much easier than he did. Her shift into a fruit-fly remained unnoticed by the bus-driver until she shifted again, this time to a near-windshield covering bald eagle. She chuckled as the bus driver swore and stepped on the brakes, giving Peter time to catch up. Why hadn't she tried that sooner?

The man glared as Peter and now hound-Azmina boarded, but didn't do anything else; he had been leaving the boy behind for years now. Peter resolutely walked towards the back of the bus, knowing he was unlikely to find a seat. Mary Jane looked at him wistfully from her spot firmly held in Flash Thompson's arms. Khalon hopped a ride on Azmina's back as a flea, so the pair could be close that way at least.

Her father had prevented anything else, raising holy hell when he found out Mary Jane had, to his mind, dumped Flash. He had tried to force her to go back and apologize to Flash the very next day. Mary Jane had refused. If her mother hadn't intervened, Mary Jane likely would have ended up in the hospital, despite Khalon's rush to get Ben and Peter Parker. He had been put in rehab twice since then, and his license taken away.

As it was, Mary Jane had ended up accepting the groveling Flash's apology the first week back sophomore year. Neither of the teens or the adult Parkers liked the situation much, but it was either that or Mary Jane went to live elsewhere, to escape her father. May and Ben had made it obvious that their home was open to her, but she didn't want to be a burden, or leave her mother all alone with her father.

Peter and Mary Jane were stuck conversing at night, all their daytime spent apart, their schedules still didn't overlap during the day. Even the evenings were apart unless they were both in bed, 'asleep', since Flash came by to take Mary Jane on dates so often. She hated being ruled by her father like she was, but felt like she had no choice.

At least she'd won one battle, Flash would never call her Mary Jane, only MJ, she had told him after what he did to her that he didn't have the right to use her full name. Somehow, she'd gotten him to agree… she never knew Peter and a dragon-Azmina were standing behind her at the time, reminding the quarterback that "Puny Parker" could be much, much more.

Peter picked himself up off the floor of the bus, where he had been pushed in the rush to get off for the field-trip. He was used to it, heck, he expected it. All that mattered was his camera hadn't broken. Azmina helped him up, and he was secretly pleased to find Mary Jane staring at the bus doors while she waited, making sure in her own way that he was unhurt.

This field-trip was going to be so cool, because it was to Columbia's Science Department, to their Special Research Lab! He and Azmina stopped to let a blind, hawk-dæmoned student and his dog-dæmoned friend rush by, "Slow down, Matt, you're going to walk into someone!" "Cool it, Foggy, I won't, now hurry up, we're going to be late!" Peter had to grin at their words, his guess had been correct. "Wonder if he can use his dæmon's eyes to see, that's how he can go so fast." He murmured to Azmina, shocked when the blind student added while still in earshot, "You know Saada lets me borrow her eyes when I need them." Peter stifled a laugh, well, that answers that.

Everyone and their dæmon were on their best behavior inside the facility. Except, as expected, Flash Thompson. Mary Jane managed to get away from him by being actually genuinely interested in what their guide was saying; Flash got taken aside by the teacher for a talking to when he ignored the woman in favor of bullying Peter and Harry.

Peter couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he absorbed all that was before him. Genetically modified spiders, first in the line of research into genetically modifying other animals to combine traits, it was like breeding dogs but with knowing pretty much exactly what you would get. Cool!

Mary Jane was just staring, enraptured at the caged spiders… one was jumping around like a jumping-bean, another was spinning web after more intricate web, they were all gorgeous, brightly colored, blue and red. Khalon merely laughed at her infatuation, pleased she was truly happy after so long pretending. It had been a long six months, since her hand was forced by her father. _"At least we had the summer,"_ he murmured to himself, a canine grin coming to his face when Azmina walked over to nudge him affectionately.

"Mind a picture, Mary Jane?" Peter's words mad her jump, somehow he'd managed to sneak up directly behind her, "For the newspaper?" His grin teased her, and she had to resist leaning up to kiss him, at least until a darting glance promised no one was watching. His cross-eyed look, complete with steamed glasses, made her laugh when she pulled back. It hadn't even been much of a kiss, at least by the standards of her secretly-read romance books. But it had felt nice anyway.

Peter hastily moved back to take her picture, a blush still reddening his cheeks adorably. Neither teen noticed the spider that had jumped as a stowaway onto his camera while they kissed, their dæmons equally oblivious to what was going to occur. Peter meticulously set up his shot, getting Mary Jane, the spider cages and the still currently hound-Khalon framed in it carefully. _Click! _Then a sharp, stabbing pain from his hand.

It shouldn't hurt to just take a photo, why did it? Azmina flashed to cockatiel to take a better look, her alarm and Peter's exclamation drawing Mary Jane closer, Flash Thompson or no Flash Thompson. He couldn't quite tell what made his hand hurt, until he looked closer… there were two dots of blood just welling to the air from his skin. A bite from something. _I wonder if it was from one of the spiders? What'll it do to me? Probably nothing._ His confidence in his lack of harm rose, and he quickly comforted his worried dæmon and startled best friend.

It wasn't until they were reboarding the bus that Peter started to think something might be wrong. He was suddenly queasy and shaky, with a raging headache… he wouldn't last the bus ride in his normal seat-or rather, his normal lack of a seat. Even with a seat, he might not have a chance. But he still needed to get to his "seat", so they could get moving.

"Parker!" A hand on his elbow stopped him as he walked, "there's room here, if you want to sit." He turned and stared unsure at the girl who had stopped him. She gave him a pointed look, "Seriously, sit down before you fall over, Parker. MJ would never forgive me if you get hurt when I could stop it. She's a bit overprotective of you." This finally caused him to grin and take the spot next to her. She shoved her crutches harder against the bus-side, allowing her to move over further and grant him the room to fully sit. Annemarie looked at him plainly, black hair falling into her eyes, only to be brushed aside. "She really is, Parker, like you're her younger brother or something." Azmina chuckled quietly to herself at the girl's proclamation, there was no way Mary Jane would kiss a brother like _that_!

Peter just gave a pain-filled smile to the girl. She was nice enough, extremely involved with theatre at school along with Mary Jane, and he knew one of the few Mary Jane considered a friend. Her theatre-group protected her from the teasing Peter received, she had been a particular favorite of some of the more popular girls during their middle school years, he had heard. "Thanks, Annemarie. How's the show going?" He gave himself an easy opening, the topic allowing his half-garbled responses to be construed correctly for the bus-ride back. But God, it hurt!

Peter blinked at the ceiling, trying to remember if he'd ever actually seen that crack before. He jumped at a sound, finding himself inexplicably attached to the ceiling he had been so assiduously studying just a moment before. How he got up there he had no idea. The pain that coursed through his entire body startled him, then faded abruptly. _"Ow."_ Azmina's muffled exclamation of pain gave him pause as she slithered out from between his stomach and the ceiling, "_Do everyone a favor and warn your dæmon next time you… attach yourself to the ceiling, won't you?"_ Her snake-form curled loosely around an inexplicably well muscled bicep. Sure, he'd had some muscle before, but not like this. From what Peter could see of his arms, it seemed as if he should be able to bench-press Flash Thompson! And the fact that he could actually _see _without his glasses!

A quick look ascertained that the swelling of the spider-bite's swelling was gone. He vaguely recalled stumbling off the bus and into the house, muttering something to Aunt May and Uncle Ben before toppling into bed. Now all he had to do was get back _down _to the bed. This could be interesting.

One ripped T-shirt, twenty minutes and a near-broken bed later, Peter was downstairs and dressed, grabbing his breakfast and lunch on the fly, before rushing out the door to catch the bus. The driver actually waited for him today! Whether it was because of Azmina's way of stopping him yesterday or because Mary Jane and Annemarie were both staring down the man, defying him to close the door and drive off, Peter couldn't care less. He got the bus without having to run for too long, his day was looking up!

Peter knew his luck had to be too good to last, and remarked that to Azmina. She merely snarled at him, "Keep dodging, oh wise one!" Undaunted, Peter followed her advice, moving out of the way of Flash's blows without even thinking about it. His back flip made Azmina stop her own fight to blink in astonishment. Well, that was different… and his punch was magnificent, perfect form, thumb on the outside, knuckles forward. She had to grin when the dæmon she was pinning went limp, and she heard Khalon's excited laugh. The pair should have learned from last year, really. Their own fault they didn't.

The tiger-dæmon had to admit the feelings she got from her human's victory kiss with Mary Jane more than made up for the time lost. If only the dæmons could keep Mary Jane seeing sense long enough for them to graduate, or something… with a shake of her heavy head, she forgot it all in the moment, happily wrapping herself back up in Khalon's sleekly furred form.


End file.
